Whole Wheat Chocolate Cake

Compliments of: Heavenly Homemakers

Yield: 12-15 servings

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2 cups whole wheat pastry flour

1 1/3 cups sucanat
1/3 cup cocoa powder  

1 tsp baking powder  

1/2 tsp baking soda  

3 eggs  

1/3 cup melted coconut oil

1 1/3 cups buttermilk

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If you choose to soak your flour, mix the 2 cups of whole wheat flour with the 1 1/3 cups buttermilk. Cover and allow this mixture to soak overnight on the countertop. Add remaining ingredients and bake as directed. 

OR Mix dry ingredients together in a large mixing bowl. Add eggs, oil and buttermilk. Mix with beaters until batter is smooth and well mixed.

Butter two round cake pans or one 9×13 inch cake pan. 

Bake round cakes at 350° for 25-30 or a 9×13 inch cake for 35-40 minutes, until a toothpick comes out clean. 

Allow the cakes to cool completely before removing them from the pans.

Baked Oatmeal Cups

2 cups rolled oats
1/2 cup sucanat or honey
1/2 tsp sea salt
1 tsp baking powder
2 eggs
3/4 cup milk
1/3 cup melted butter
Topping choices:  mini chocolate chips, raisins, other dried fruit, coconut flakes, apple chunks

Mix together oats, sucanat, salt and baking powder.  Stir in eggs, milk, and melted butter.

Scoop batter into 12 paper lined muffin cups.  Sprinkle toppings of choice into the center of each cup.

Bake in a 350° for about 30 minutes, or until the oats are golden brown.

Golden Bars of Happiness

3/4 cup peanut butter or sunbutter
3/4 cup honey
1 cup oats
1 cup brown rice cereal
2 cups total of any combination of:  chopped nuts, coconut flakes, sunflower seeds, dried fruit, mini chocolate chips, etc.

In a medium sized saucepan, melt together peanut butter and honey.

Remove from heat and add oats and cereal.  Mix in chosen nuts/fruits.

Line 9x13 or quarter sheet baking pan with wax or parchment paper.  Spread and press mixture into pan.

Chill for two hours, then cut into bars.

Wrap in plastic wrap for a quick grab and go snack!

Experimental Brownies - Part 2

I think I've discovered a solution to my brownie "problem". My past attempts have been alright, but there is room for improvement. I think my new baking buddy is oat flour. It has a higher gluten percentage and higher moisture content than wheat flour, so my theory is that combining a small portion of oat flour with wheat flour will give a less crumbly and more moist result. The use of white bean puree is just to lower the fat content and hopefully give the brownies a fudgier texture.

1/2 cup butter, melted
1/2 cup white bean puree
1 cup sucanat, powdered
3 eggs
2 tbsp vanilla extract
1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
1/4 cup oat flour
3/4 cup wheat pastry flour
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon baking powder

Preheat oven to 350 deg.  Grease bottom of 9"x13" baking pan.

Mix butter and sucanat in a mixing bowl.  Add bean puree, eggs and vanilla and mix throughly.  Add remaining ingredients and mix for two minutes on high.

Pour batter into baking pan and bake for 20 minutes or until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean.

Perfect Whole Wheat Chocolate Chip Cookies

UPDATE 6/14:  I subbed coconut oil for the butter, and made adjustments to amounts.

I've been on a quest since changing to a healthier lifestyle for a good chocolate chip cookie.  For those of you who use whole wheat flour, you'll know that it doesn't turn out the same results as all purpose flour does.  Whole wheat flour still contains the bran and germ so it's heavier and doesn't always lend itself well to light and fluffy results.  So my cookies were always flat.  I typically add a cup or two of a different grain to my whole wheat bread and a few weeks ago I tried adding oatmeal and was shocked at how moist and fluffy the bread turned out!

In my search for a better version of whole wheat cookies I came across a recipe on Pinterest. The picture showed perfectly fluffy cookies. It has equal portions of oatmeal and whole wheat flour so I guess technically it's an oatmeal chocolate chip cookie. But next time I make them I am going to measure out the oatmeal and then grind it for oat flour.  My theory is that the oatmeal has a higher % of gluten thereby giving the cookies the needed structure.  And the higher moisture content keeps them moist and fluffy.  The dough was a little on the "gooey" side and I was tempted to add more flour.  I'm so glad I didn't! They came out perfectly!

One change I made was to substitute half the butter for white bean puree.  Bean puree is similar in consistency to creamed butter, but without all the fat.  You shouldn't substitute puree for all the butter, because some fat is needed or the result will be crumbly and dry.  No good for cookies!  Next time I'm going to try subbing coconut oil for the butter half and see how that turns out.

The other change I made was using Sucanat for the white and brown sugars.  Sucanat is very minimally processed so it still contains lots of good vitamins and minerals.  So all-in-all these cookies are pretty healthy but they don't taste like it.  I'm loving this!

3/4 cup coconut oil
3/4 cup white bean puree
1 cup ground sucanat
3 eggs
1 tsp vanilla
1 1/4 tsp baking soda
1 1/4 tsp baking powder
1 1/4 tsp salt
2 1/2 cups whole wheat pastry flour
2 cups rolled oats, ground to flour
1 1/2 cups semisweet chocolate chips

Cream coconut oil and bean puree for 2 minutes.  Add sucanat.  Beat in eggs and extract.

Stir in dry ingredients and then chocolate chips.

Scoop 2 tablespoons of dough onto ungreased cookie sheet.

Bake at 350 degrees for 10 minutes. Cool on rack.

Gluten Free Chocolate Almond Biscotti

Serves: 18-20

1 3/4 cups almond flour
1/4 cup natural cocoa powder
1 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp kosher salt
1/2 cup ground sucanat (measure, the grind)
3 extra-large eggs, at room temperature, lightly beaten
3 tbsp canola oil
1 tsp pure vanilla extract

Preheat your oven to 350 degrees F.

In a large bowl, place the almond flour, cocoa powder, baking powder, baking soda, salt and sugar, and whisk to combine well.  Add the eggs, oil and vanilla, and mix to combine well.  Continue mixing until the batter is smooth.  It will be pourable, and you won’t be able to shape it like you would biscotti made with all-purpose flour.

In a separate small bowl, combine the chips and corn starch, and toss to combine.  Scrape the dough into a biscotti pan or a greased rectangular tart pan of similar size (I used a quarter sheet baking pan).  Shake the pan back and forth until the batter is in an even layer.  Smack the flat bottom of the pan on the counter a few times to release any trapped air bubbles.

Place the pan in the center of the preheated oven, and bake until relatively firm to the touch, 20 to 25 minutes.  It will not be hard.  Turn the oven temperature down to 300 degrees F.

Allow to cool in the pan at least 10 minutes on a cooling rack before running a scratch-proof knife or thin spatula along the side of the pan to ensure it will come out.  Once almost completely cool, turn out onto a cutting board.  Slice in cross-section along the short side of the rectangle into 18 to 20 pieces.  Place the biscotti about 2 inches apart on a rimmed baking sheet, and return to the oven.

Bake for 15 to 20 minutes, or until relatively crunchy and dried.  Remove from the oven and allow to cool completely on the baking sheet.

Store in an airtight container at room temperature.

Filled Monster Brain Cupcakes

CAKE
4 oz semi-sweet chocolate chips
1/2 cup seedless jam (any berry type)
1 2/3 cups whole wheat pastry flour
1 1/2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 cup butter, room temperature
1 1/4 cup sucanat
3 eggs
1/3 cup milk

FILLING
1/2 pint whipping cream
1/4 cup seedless jam

FROSTING
3 cups powdered sugar
1 tsp vanilla
2-3 tbsp milk
1/2 cup butter, softened
food coloring

Preheat oven to 350º.  Line muffin tin with cupcake liners.

Microwave chocolate and jam on high for 1 minute.  Stir.  Microwave again for 30 seconds.  Stir until smooth.  You can also do this in a double boiler.  Allow to cool on counter.

Mix flour, baking powder and salt together in a bowl.  In an electric mixer, mix butter and sugar until light and fluffy.  Add eggs one at a time, beating well after each.  Alternately add flour and milk in thirds.  Mix thoroughly.

When chocolate mixture is cool to the touch, slowly add it to the batter.  Mix well.

Let the batter sit for about 5 minutes.  Gently stir again by hand.  Fill each cupcake liner 3/4 full.

Bake for 20-25 minutes.  Let cool on cooling rack.

Using an apple corer, press corer into center of cupcake about 3/4 of the way through.  Pull out "core" and eat it.  :)  Repeat with remaining cupcakes.

Whip cream in medium bowl until stiff peaks form.  Add jam and gently mix in.  Fill pastry bag (or ziptop bag with corner cut off) with whipped cream mixture.  Fill cupcake holes with cream.

Mix powdered sugar, vanilla and butter.  Add milk 1 tablespoon at a time until frosting is a spreadable consistency.  Add desired food colorings to make "brain" color.

Fill pastry bag (or ziptop bag with corner cut off) with frosting.  Using swirly zigzags, frost the tops of the cupcakes to look like brains.

Experimental Brownies

I have a good recipe for moist, fudgy brownies.  But I have been trying to find a more healthy recipe for brownies using whole wheat flour.  Every time I have tried one they come out crumbly and dry.  So I doubled my recipe minus one egg and used half white/half wheat flour this time.  They still came out crumbly but more fudgy than other attempts.  I have a few other tricks I'm going to try, but it is getting better.

1/2 cup butter, melted
1/2 cup oil
1 1/2 cups sucanat, powdered
3 eggs
2 tbsp vanilla extract
2/3 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
1/2 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 cup wheat pastry flour
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon baking powder

Preheat oven to 350 deg.  Grease bottom of 9"x13" baking pan.

Mix butter, oil and sucanat in a mixing bowl.  Add eggs and vanilla and mix throughly.  Add remaining ingredients and mix for two minutes on high.

Bake for 20 minutes or until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean.

"Healthier" No Bake Cookies

2 cups sucanat
½ cup almond or rice milk
1/3 cup butter
¼ tsp salt
½ cup peanut butter
¼ cup cocoa
1 tsp vanilla
3 cups regular oats

Mix sucanat, milk, butter and salt in large saucepan over medium heat.  Boil for 1 minute.  Remove from heat and add peanut butter, cocoa and vanilla.  Mix well.  Stir in oats.

Drop by tablespoonfuls (I use my 2 tbsp scoop) onto wax paper and allow to cool until firm.

A Different Chocolate Chip Cookie

My husband found this website on StumbleUpon.  He found the Jacques Torres cookie recipe, but I didn't have bread or cake flour.  She said, "Now, I have a chocolate chip cookie recipe that I swear by. I love it, I think it is incredible, and I haven’t changed my mind about that. However, as much as it pains me to say it, these chocolate chip cookies by Jacques Torres are absolutely, without a doubt, the best chocolate chip cookies that I have ever made or tasted in my entire life."  Since I didn't have the needed ingredients, I thought I would try her "swear by" recipe.  They are fantastic!  The outside has a nice crunch but they are soft and gooey in the middle.  I'm guessing that if you made them smaller, they wouldn't turn out the same.  So make them big and enjoy the goodness!!

Compliments of Crepes of Wrath

2 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
3/4 cup unsalted butter, melted
1 cup packed brown sugar
1/2 cup white sugar
1 tbsp vanilla extract
1 egg
1 egg yolk
2 cups semisweet chocolate chunks (I didn't have chunks so I used chips.  But Sydney says that the chunks is what makes these cookies so great.  After trying them, I can see why.)

Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F.  Grease or line your cookie sheets.  (I did neither and they came off just fine.)

Sift the flour, salt and baking soda together and set aside.

Mix the sugars and melted butter until thoroughly mixed.  Then add egg, yolk and vanilla and mix until creamy.  Add the sifted ingredients and mix until just blended – don’t over beat!  Stir in chocolate chunks by hand.

Drop dough a bit less than 1/4 cup (I used my 3 tbsp scoop) at a time on cookie sheet, about 3 inches apart.

Bake for 12-15 minutes, depending on the size of your cookies.  Mine took 17 minutes.

Leave them on the cookie sheet to cool a bit.  This is important!  They will fall apart if you move them too soon.  Once they cool a few minutes, remove the cookies to a cooling rack to finish cooling.

Makes 10-12 cookies, depending on their size.  Mine made 21.

German Chocolate Cake

Adapted from Simple Healthy Tasty

1 1/2 cups soft wheat flour
1/4 cup baking cocoa
1 tsp baking powder
1 cup sucanat
1/2 t salt
5 tbsp oil
1 tbsp apple cider vinegar
1 cup cold water

Preheat oven to 350'F.

Mix flour, cocoa, baking powder, sucanat, and salt in a mixing bowl.  Make three deep holes in the mixture.  Pour oil in one, vinegar in another and vanilla in the last.  Pour water over all of it.  Mix well.

Pour into 9"x9" pan and bake for 30 minutes.  Cupcakes for 15 minutes.

Torta Caprese

a.k.a Flourless Chocolate Cake

Adapted from Food Lovers Odyssey

9 oz good quality dark chocolate, chopped into small pieces (I didn't have dark chocolate, only semi sweet.  So I decreased the amount of sugar to 1 cup.)
1 cup butter
¼ cup cocoa powder
1 tbsp almond extract
1 ¼ cup granulated sugar
1 ½ cups ground blanched and toasted almonds (see instructions below)
6 eggs, room temperature

Preheat an oven to 310° and line the bottom of a 9-inch spring-form pan with parchment paper.

Slowly melt the chocolate and butter over a double-boiler.  In a stand mixer with a whisk attachment, whisk together the melted chocolate mixture, the cocoa powder, almond extract and sugar until combined.  Add the ground almonds and whisk until combined.  Add the eggs one at a time, adding each egg after the first has been incorporated into the mixture.

Pour the mixture into the spring-form pan.  Make sure the mixture is level and smooth on top.  Bake for 50-60 minutes.  Cool and serve with chocolate spirals or shavings and powdered sugar.  Serve with gelato or whipped cream.


Almonds
Blanch:  Boil some water and add desired amount of almonds.  Let almonds sit in water for 30 seconds.  Drain almonds and place on paper towels.  Pinch the almond at the fat end and the almond should pop right out!  Get the kids involved.  It was lots of fun!

Toast:  Heat oven to 350°.  Place almonds in a single layer on a baking sheet.  Bake for 5 minute intervals stirring in between, until almonds are blonde to light brown in color.  They will smell divine!

Grind:  Pulse almonds in blender until somewhat fine in texture.

Rocky Road Brownies

Favorite brownie recipe to fit a 9"x13" pan  (I used a box mix.  No need to fix what's not broken!)
1/3 cup buttermilk
½ cup butter
3 tbsp cocoa
1 lb powdered sugar
2 cups mini marshmallows
1 tsp vanilla
1 cup chopped walnuts

Make brownies.

While brownies are cooling, combine buttermilk, butter and cocoa in saucepan.  Bring to boiling, stirring constantly.  Mix in powdered sugar.  Stir in remaining ingredients quickly.  Immediately pour over brownies.  You can also use this with a chocolate cake.  But come on!  Brownies are WAY better!

Oatmeal Cookies

I love this recipe! (Thanks mom!) I've made these cinnamon chips and they were really good. It's a nice flavor and not overpowering. But the cookie itself is the winner!! These cookies have a nice "crust" and are soft and chewy inside. Just how I love them! They are simple to make, just don't over bake! They will be hard and crunchy. Keep them in an airtight container or ziplock bag.

Makes about 3 dozen cookies

¾ cup butter
1 cup sucanat
1/3 cup honey
1 egg
2 tsp vanilla
3/4 tsp salt
½ tsp baking soda
1 cup flour
3 cups oatmeal
1 cup raisins, cinnamon chips, or chocolate chips

Preheat oven to 350°. Mix butter, sucanat, honey, egg and vanilla; beat on medium-high speed about 3 minutes until fluffy. Add salt and baking soda; mix well. Add flour and oatmeal and mix until combined. Stir in raisins.

Drop by tablespoonfuls onto un-greased cookie sheet. Bake for 10-12 minutes. Don't over bake! Tops will be firm while the inside will feel soft. Cool on cookie sheet about 1 minute then transfer to cooling rack.

Oat Crispies

Compliments of Simple Healthy Tasty

½ cup peanut butter
½ cup syrup
1 tsp vanilla
½ tsp maple flavoring
3 cups rolled oats
pinch of salt (optional)
Options: chocolate chips, raisins, raw cashews, unsweetened coconut or whatever you like.

Mix peanut butter, syrup, vanilla and flavoring together in large bowl. Add remaining ingredients and mix well. Press into 9”x13” baking pan spreading to about 1-inch thick. Freeze.

Chocolate Cake with Raspberry Topping

OK, so this is the easiest most delicious cake!  Nothing from scratch, but so yummy.

My sweet husband made this for me for Mothers Day this year.

1 chocolate cake mix

1 tub chocolate frosting

milk

1 tub whipped topping

1 1/2 cups frozen raspberries

Chunk of chocolate

Bake cake as directed on box in two round pans.  My husband actually used a greased springform pan which made it WAY easier to take out and it's all in one cake.  Nothing to layer!  If you do use 2 rounds, just use the chocolate frosting in between the layers. 

I always whip my frosting with a little milk.  It makes it lighter, fluffier and easier to spread.  And it goes further.  So put the frosting in a bowl and whip with an electric mixer with a tablespoon of milk at a time until it fluffs up.  Frost just the sides of the cake.

Blend the raspberries in a blender until smooth.  Add the raspberries to the whipped topping and gently mix together.  Top cake with raspberry topping.

Grate chocolate on top of cake and serve.

A Variation on a Theme

This is a variation on the brownie dessert. It's super easy, really good and a lighter texture.

1 box of chocolate cake mix
8 oz whipped topping
21 oz can cherry pie filling

Make cake according to directions. Let cool completely. Frost with whipped topping and top with cherry pie filling.

Decadent Brownie Dessert

Easy to make and so delicious!

Makes about 16 bars

1 box fudge brownie mix
1 egg
8 oz cream cheese, softened
1 14 oz can sweetened condensed milk
2 tsp vanilla
21 oz can cherry pie filling

Prepare brownies as directed on box. Meanwhile, combine cream cheese and egg. Whisk in milk and vanilla.

Pour mixture over hot brownies; bake additional 25 minutes. Cool 2 hours; top with pie filling.

Peanut Butter Cups or Bars

6 tbsp butter
1 cup peanut butter
¾ cup graham cracker crumbs
½ lb powdered sugar
Chocolate frosting or chocolate chips

Cream together butter and peanut butter in medium bowl. Mix in crumbs. Add powdered sugar and mix until combined.

Cups: Roll about ¾ - 1 teaspoon of peanut butter mixture into balls. Melt chocolate chips and pour a bit of chocolate into mini cups. Place a peanut butter ball in each cup. Pour about 1 tbsp of chocolate over each ball. Let cool completely.

Bars: Line a 9”x13” baking pan with foil. Press peanut butter mixture into pan. Frost with chocolate frosting. Remove from pan and cut into bars.

Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Bread

This bread is so moist and so easy you really can't go wrong!

1¾ cups flour
1 to 1½ cups brown sugar
1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp cinnamon
¾ tsp nutmeg
¼ tsp allspice
¼ tsp ginger
1/8 tsp salt
1 cup pumpkin puree
½ cup butter, melted
1 egg
1/3 cup water
½ cup chocolate chips

Preheat over to 350°. Grease 2 medium loaf pans. Combine dry ingredients. Mix wet ingredients and then stir in dry ingredients. Stir in chocolate chips.

Pour into pans. Bake 45-50 minutes. You can replace chocolate chips with nuts, dried cranberries or raisins.